Students seeking journalism advising will have the joy of being greeted by new faces Jennifer Dalton and Colleen van Pelt, who were welcomed into their journalism department positions as department manager and program coordinator, respectively, in the fall of 2022.  

Dalton, who acts as the department chair’s assistant, helps with student advising and takes care of any department-related issues, budgeting and faculty needs. Van Pelt also has a huge hand to play in supporting students by helping them make sense of graduation requirements and crafting plans of study.

Van Pelt worked in the biology department for four years after graduating from Western with a degree in biology in 1999. After taking some time off, she was drawn into the position because of the opportunity to work with students.

Sometimes students find themselves in uncomfortable situations along the path to graduation, Van Pelt said, where they fall into a space where they feel unsupported and can be embarrassed or even afraid to reach out for assistance.

“That’s what we’re here for. We want all of the students to be successful. And just that one little act of reaching out and saying, ‘hey, I have some questions,’ or ‘I’m having a problem,’ or ‘I need some support,’ gives us the opportunity to meet them where they’re at and help,” Van Pelt said. “Giving them options makes a huge difference so they don’t get lost in the shuffle.”

Van Pelt said getting to know students from all walks of life, and watching them learn and grow following their passions drew her to the position. 

Van Pelt also enjoys hiking, crafting and cooking with her 16-year-old and 11-year-old children.

Dalton worked in the Office of the Dean at Western’s College of Business and Economics as an administrative assistant for three years before working with the journalism department. 

Dalton is currently taking classes to pursue her goal of earning a higher education degree in accounting to add more tools to her toolbox, planning to graduate from Western in the spring of 2023.

“I want to stay at Western, I love Western. And so my goal is just to keep moving up within Western,” Dalton said. “I feel like I’ll be in this position for quite a while. There’s a lot to learn.”

Dalton, who says she has a quirky, irrational fear of ladybugs, enjoys listening to podcasts and keeping her 15-year-old chihuahua comfortable and happy.

Looking for a step-up position and a job that would offer more student interaction, Dalton said she felt this was the next step she needed to take. 

Wanting every student to know she’s available for them, Dalton said she has an open-door policy, even if it’s just to come and say hi.

“You know, this admin stuff is for the birds, but student stuff is my favorite.”

She said she finds fulfillment in helping students find their path to graduate into a field they’re passionate about.

“It’s a passion I didn’t know I needed or wanted. Coming here, it’s cemented the fact that I love it. I love it here.”

Spirited about being able to help students, Van Pelt said her goal is to help them move more smoothly to graduation through life’s many barriers.

“I never want to have somebody like, ‘Okay, here’s your dead end, you can’t do anything else.’ There’s always another option, at least one other option,” Van Pelt said. “So let’s just research those avenues and make sure that we give you the resources to move forward. Because life happens, you know, sometimes those roadblocks are completely out of your control.”

Van Pelt said one of the allures of the journalism department is the unique community aspect of a smaller department. She enjoys that it provides time to learn more about each other while creating a more intimate meeting space for more voices to be heard among a diverse group of faculty.

“Seeing how much they love what they do, how much energy and passion they put into their work. Teaching isn’t always the easiest thing, so it definitely takes a certain personality to put yourself in that position,” Van Pelt said. “There’s a lot of heart in the department, I would say.”